


Into a Fantasy

by HerPrettySmile



Series: Rei's Original Works [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Awkward Romance, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Games, Gaming, Gen, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Teen Romance, Urban Fantasy, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-03-02 06:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18805426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerPrettySmile/pseuds/HerPrettySmile
Summary: “Dream World” is the most popular realistic VR (virtual reality) game that caters to more than half of the people on a futuristic Earth. An ordinary teenager who sets his game name to Scott Wayland enters the virtual world as an orphan near the city of Lucis. The story starts when, a few years later, his mentor dies and gives him an ultimate quest which Scott has no choice but to strive to complete. In the middle of his mission, he encounters a high-level Sorceress who helps him on his quest by recruiting five other players to raid the fortress of the man who killed his mentor in cold blood.





	1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

**:**

He stares at the shiny black helmet in his hands. It has a label ' _Dream World_ ' on it and comes attached with giant goggles that blink green, indicating that the game has completed loading its data and is ready to play.

He thinks about what it can change for him. The company said that once you die, the game ends for you, and if ever you had spent twenty years or more or even less in Dream World, the time that would elapse in the real world will only be about two years, which is a _huge_ time difference. However, the game also allows players to log off whenever their minds get tired or overloaded from playing.

He thinks everything about the game is a tad unbelievable, but it's worth a try.

He does not have anything else to do in the real world, after all.

**:**

The moment he enters the game, finding himself in a monochromatic room, an NPC — or a non-playable character — appears in front of him.

The NPC is a girl about three years younger than him, and she has short black hair cut into a fashionable bob along with an oval-shaped face and cheerful grey eyes. When she smiles at him, he notices a dimple on her right cheek.

"Hello, gamer!" Her voice is soft, yet having that computer-like lilt to it. "Welcome to _Dream World_ , the Earth's most popular Virtual Reality Game. I am Shara, your beginner's guide. Nice to meet you!"

He nods slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Now, gamer," Shara continues on cheerfully, "I am sure that you are eager to get it on with, so I will now proceed to the Looks category. What would you like to change about yourself?"

In a flash, he is surrounded by buttons with labels on them. A mirror is then placed in front of him.

There are seven buttons all in all. The first one is labelled _Hair_ , the second _Eyes_ , the third _Face Paint/Mask_ , the fourth _Makeup_ , the fifth _Beauty Marks/Facial Hair_ , the sixth _Scars/Tattoos_ , and the seventh _Accessories and Clothes_.

He looks at them for a brief moment, then presses the _Hair_ button and then the _Colors_ button. He taps on the reddish-brown palette and waits for the transformation to take change. Afterwards, he presses the _Accessories and Clothes_ button and selects an outfit consisting of a white shirt, a brown vest, dark pants, and brown boots.

He then turns towards Shara. "I don't have anything left to change," he tells her quietly.

Shara smiles. "Okay, then. I shall now proceed to the Type category. Please choose what type you would like to become."

The buttons and mirror are immediately replaced by seven radio buttons with texts beside each. The first is labelled _Usual Type_ , the second _Rune Type_ , the third _Sorcerer/Sorceress Type_ , the fourth _Sword-Magic type_ , the fifth _Inventory Type_ , the sixth _Demon Type_ , and the seventh _Alchemy Type_.

"The _Usual Type_ is the most basic yet, in a way, the most powerful if you know how to use it well and if you have the potential. In this type, you can attack, steal, equip different weapons, and summon Guardians.

" _Rune Type_ is a rather difficult yet damaging type; purchasing Runes in stores is very rare, so you'd have to find them yourself most of the time—and even _fight_ for it—because what the store merchants sell are often the common ones. When you equip a powerful Rune, you can deal your enemy with a lot more damage than you can imagine. But you can have one Rune when you choose this type to begin with.”

He nods.

Shara continues on. “Now, in the _Sorcerer/Sorceress Type_ , you initially have two magics of your own to start with; you can choose from the different magics in the selection. In _Sword-Magic_ , you start out with an ordinary-looking sword, but in truth, that sword can take on different forms once you level up and it will also release its magic once you utter its command. So, it's sort of like a mix of the Sorcerer/Sorceress Type and the Usual type."

He listens closely, eyes closed.

"Next is the _Inventory Type_. This type allows the player to make use of various items to power themselves up. This can prove to be _very_ powerful, provided the player has a _lot_ of money in order to buy high-level equipment and additional inventory slots for himself. 

"Then there's the _Demon Type_. This is a very dangerous type. You become a Demon and can change into several forms—namely, a beast, a werewolf, a vampire, a bear, a bat, and a crow. You will have the ability to use _Dark Magic_ and _Shape Shift_. However, even though this type sounds really powerful, it is only for those who know how to control themselves. This is _not_ recommended for players who have trouble controlling their own tempers! It’ll take a toll on your brain!” Shara warns, wagging her finger.

“I see,” he says blandly.

“And lastly, the _Alchemy Type_. This type is, in a way, the weakest of all types, since a gamer who chooses this type is only going to mostly — or rather, commonly — be a support character. The _Alchemy Type_ gives you the ability to heal, make power-ups with the right ingredients and give then to your comrades, and also the ability to fight, although you have to figure out how, because there are various ways on how to make an effective offense in Alchemy. But then, most gamers give up trying. The most important pro when you become an _Alchemy Type_ is that you have an _unlimited_ supply of potions." Shara takes a deep breath, then smiles earnestly. "So then, what will you be, gamer?"

He does not hesitate. " _Usual Type_."

Shara's smile grows wider. "All right, then! Let's get started."

Suddenly, a **480/480** appears above his head along with a **200/200** below the **480/480** and a " **Level 1** " above the latter.

"The 480/480 is your HP or Hit Points. Once they run out, you become a KO. Someone has to give you a _Revival Potion_ in order to bring you back to life. Once you become KO-ed for four days, you're out of the game. Namely, you're dead already. For _good_.

“The 200/200 is your MP or Mana Points. They decrease when you use magic or summon Guardians. Only you can see your HP and MP. They will not be shown to you above your head like right now, but in your mind only, and only if you wish to see them. If you are in danger of running out of either of them, they will alert your body and flash inside you, so there is no way that you cannot know your state.

"The level which you are in now is 1. You will level up once you fight monsters and creatures and also other opponents and sparring partners. The number of Experience Points or EXP you will obtain will depend on how strong the opponents you fight are.

“Now, I will send you to the town of Lucis where beginners are usually sent. Good luck.”

He nods, understanding.

As he starts to disappear little by little, she asks, "By the way, gamer, what is the name you want to use in _Dream World_?"

He looks at her for a moment before turning away.

"Scott," he says slowly. "Scott Wayland."


	2. INTRODUCTION I: Scott Wayland, Part 1

When Scott comes to his senses, he finds himself in an overcrowded place with people excitedly chattering with each other.

An uncomfortable feeling lodges itself in his chest. He has never liked crowds; being in the middle of all these people is making him feel claustrophobic.

He suddenly feels the need to get away from it all as soon as possible.

His eyes dart around his surroundings. The town of Lucis is huge, with modern brick houses at the sides and numerous trees adorning the spaces in between. The roads are also neatly constructed with stone and lead to multiple paths.

The area Scott is currently in seems to be a park where numerous beginners like him start out. Most of them look like teenagers and only a few appear to be in their thirties. Their costumes also look gaudy and honestly impractical.

Scott looks down at his plain, neat clothing and is glad that he didn't pick out something flashy. It surely isn't good to stand out in this game, after all.

 _So... what am I supposed to do here now?_ Scott wonders as he starts walking out of the park, tuning out the loud voices in his ears. _Am I given a mission or what?_

Soon, he finds himself standing before a weapons shop. _I wonder if I have money to buy equipment,_ he muses as he checks his stats.

Hologram boxes appear before his line of sight, revealing his statistics. His HP and MP are full, and his EXP bar is empty. It looks like he needs about 100 points in order to level up.

 _That can be taken care of by fighting monsters..._ Scott thinks absently as he searches for the amount of money he currently has. _There it is... 1,000 coins._

_Is that a lot?_

Realizing that he will need to go inside the shop to check, Scott pushes the door open and walks inside.

There is a man with a friendly smile standing before the counter. Behind him are shelves filled with weapons of all kinds. Scott suspects, however, that they are only there for design. It is usually typical of an RPG game.

"How can I help you, young man?" the NPC asks amicably.

As he says it, a large frame appears before Scott's line of sight, revealing pictures of different weapons and their respective stats and prices. There is a category tab at the uppermost corner, so Scott clicks on it and presses the _Swords_ button.

As he mindlessly skims the pages, he finds one that immediately catches his attention.

It is a thick, wide glass blade, one that seems too heavy to lift for an average person. However, pain doesn't exist in this game, so it is completely safe for a player to wield _any_ weapon they so wish.

Looking at the price, he sees that it costs 900 coins. _Close enough._

He taps the _Buy_ button.

Almost instantly, the glass sword materializes in front of him. Scott stares at the hilt before hesitantly gripping it with his right hand.

 _This is... cool._ Scott blinks as he tries wielding his weapon. It feels light in his hand, almost like dragging a feather. It is _definitely_ convenient for battle.

Satisfied with his purchase, Scott walks out of the shop, tying the scabbard of his sword to his back. As he checks his inventory, he sees that he currently holds two healing potions, one revival potion, and one teleportation stone. He doesn't know _what_ the stone is for and _how_ it's going to be used, but he figures that he'd soon discover it through his journey.

As Scott steps towards a crossroad, he pauses in his tracks.

_Now what?_

There isn't any direction he needs to go. He hasn't been given a quest, wasn't approached by anyone, and there are _too_ many people around. He can't even distinguish NPCs from regular players, because the NPCs here seem to be sentient and act just like _real_ people. It's confusing for a new player like him, but it adds a great touch of realism to the game, something that Scott finds undoubtedly _fascinating_.

However, he is still in the predicament of not knowing where to go. Perhaps he should look for signs in his surroundings?

" _Hey!_ "

Scott turns around at the sudden sound.

What greets his eyes is a guy walking towards him, sporting a friendly smile on his face. He looks significantly different than the others with his wavy black hair and cerulean eyes that seem to sparkle under the sunlight.

“Who are you?” Scott asks warily, studying the boy’s expression.

“My name’s Gaven,” the guy replies, his smile widening as he holds out a hand for Scott to shake. “Gaven Loxer.”

Scott hesitates only for a moment before accepting Gaven’s handshake. “Scott Wayland. Why are you talking to me?” he asks bluntly, never one to beat around the bush.

Gaven blinks at him, then seems to hold back a chuckle. He sees Scott's unimpressed face and finally releases a laugh. “Sorry, it’s just that… you’re so _stiff_ , man. Loosen up a little.”

“You spoke to me just because of that?” Scott says flatly.

Gaven shakes his head, amused. “Nope. You’re a beginner, aren’t you?”

Scott nods slowly, the tension in his features softening somewhat.

“Well, you seem to have no idea where to go, so I’ll guide you to the mission roster!” Gaven offers. “I’m actually here on a quest, but I’m willing to help a fellow player out.”

“Mission roster?” Scott inquires.

Gaven nods. “A mission roster is a large signboard near the entrance of Lucis Town. You can access quests there and accept those that you want to do.”

Scott is quiet for a moment. “Is that _all_ there is to this game?” he asks. "Just finding quests and fulfilling them?"

“Nope! Every quest has its own story,” Gaven tells him with a smile. “Since you’re a beginner, the missions that will be shown to you will lead you to the path to creating your own story here in _Dream World_. It's fun, and it's a great way to start the game!”

With that, they begin walking towards the entrance of the city. Scott glances at Gaven who seems to be checking something on his phone.

_Interesting… there are even cellphones here. I wonder what they’re mainly for._

“What type are you?” Scott asks, unable to contain his curiosity. For some reason, he feels comfortable talking to Gaven. The latter has a calm, friendly air about him, and the way he speaks is relaxed and assured.

Gaven looks at him, his lips curving into a grin. Scott notes absently in his mind that Gaven seems to like smiling a lot. “Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine,” he says.

“Usual type,” Scott answers.

Gaven hums, looking thoughtful. “It _does_ suit you,” he drawls. “But being a Usual type is tiring. You’d need to buy high-stat weapons, useful accessories, and collect Guardian stones in order to defeat boss battles.” Then he laughs. "Not as difficult as being an Inventory type, though! It's hard to earn a lot of money here."

Scott frowns. “How long have you been playing this game?”

Gaven pauses for a moment. “About a year already, I guess? I don’t keep track of time.” In a swift motion, he snaps his fingers. A small dagger materializes out of nowhere, and Gaven catches it in his hand easily. He turns to Scott with another smile. “I’m a _Sword-Magic_ type, level 30.”

 _That’s pretty high,_ Scott thinks as he stares at the small weapon. _He must be really good at fighting._

When they reach the entrance, Gaven gestures to the large signboard where a few excited-looking players are lining up.

“That’s the mission roster,” he says. “Just pick the one that resonates with you the most. But remember, you gotta choose carefully. The _very_ first quest you pick will be the foundation for your life here in this game.”

Scott nods. “Got it.”

“Then I’ll be going ahead,” Gaven says pleasantly, patting Scott’s shoulder. “Good luck on your adventure ahead. Maybe we’ll even be seeing each other again soon.”

Scott watches Gaven’s retreating back. He has more questions about the game, but he thinks that it's best to learn them all himself, after all. Besides, it's what makes games fun, right?

Hopefully, he’d enjoy this. At home, it's all darkness, all emptiness. Here, there are many things that interest him, and they prove to be a great distraction from reality.

When his turn is up, Scott stares at the signboard hologram and logs in by placing his palm on the sensor. When the list of beginners’ quests shows up, he scans the titles and the summaries of their contents.

 _Looking for someone to help me farm…_ Scott reads in his mind. _Help with tending the store… A search for ancient relics in a small temple…_

As Scott finds himself on page three, the topmost post catches his eye.

* * *

**HELP IN RETRIEVING A LOST SWORD IN LAKE NADIS**

_"The owner of the sword, Harrington, would like to enlist someone’s aid in retrieving the sword he accidentally dropped in one of the largest lakes of Lucis. The player who accepts this quest will first meet with Harrington at the aforementioned lake and undergo an important test."_

**Requirements:** Level 1, Usual Type/Sword-Magic Type/Inventory Type

 **Rewards for success:** 10,000 coins, Hellfire Fragment x 1

* * *

  _Sounds good. Convenient, too, since the location is within Lucis._ Without any hesitation, Scott presses the ‘ _Accept Quest_ ’ button.

_I’m a swimming athlete, after all._


	3. Scott Wayland, Part 2

Lake Nadis is probably one of the most _beautiful_ places Scott has ever seen. The waters are shimmering in the sunlight, the air is clean, and the meadow surrounding the lake is filled with different kinds of flowers.

 _There are roses too,_ Scott notices as he pockets his mini GPS. After accepting the quest, the said device materialized in front of him, discovering that it was showing a hologram map of Lucis. His coordinates were at the center of the town while Lake Nadis was marked at the far-east. Scott then followed the trail until he arrived.

 _Everything looks realistic yet surreal at the same time,_ Scott observes, walking towards the north. _The air feels real, the grass bumps into my ankles..._ As he approaches the lake, he stops to kneel down. _I wonder... how the waters will feel like?_

He's about to touch the shimmering liquid when he's suddenly interrupted by a gruff voice yelling at him.

"Hey! You the person who accepted my quest?"

Scott turns his head towards the voice and finds himself staring at a man seemingly in his thirties with spiky black hair and dark-blue eyes. Donning a casual white tank top that shows off his muscled arms and black leg pants that come down to his boots, he looks more like a gym trainer rather than a casual civillian.

Scott stands up and approaches the man. "Yes, sir. My name is Scott Wayland."

The man looks him up and down as if searching for something. "I see... you _sure_ you're up for this?"

Scott nods. "Just tell me what I should do."

"All right. The name's Harrington. I'm a wandering swordsman from the east," the man introduces. "During a fight with some crawlers, my sword was thrown into the lake."

"Have you tried finding it?" Scott asks.

Harrington shakes his head. "I would if I _could_ ," he says bitterly. "But I'm afraid I'm not a good swimmer. I tried once, and I nearly drowned. That sword's really special to me, so I can't just let it go."

Scott glances at the lake. "How deep is it?"

"About 46 meters, I think. Not that deep compared to the _other_ large lakes. It's _fatal_ for us NPCs, but for you players, it'll be a cinch depending on your willpower." Harrington pauses. "Basically, you'll have your own personal timer to indicate how long you can stay in the water."

"What does that mean?"

"It depends on how skilled you are in swimming. The game records the personal data you inputted before playing and registers your official records... _if_ you have those." Harrington folds his arms in front of his chest. "Which is why I'm gonna give you a little test first to see how long you last underwater."

"That's a common misconception about swimming," Scott points out bluntly. "A good swimmer _doesn't_ hold their breath. It's all about chest expansion and proper breathing."

Harrington stares at him, surprised. "You sound like you're a swimmer," he says, a bit impressed.

Scott nods, flexing his arms absently. "I'm an athlete back in my world," he responds quietly. "I'm a swimmer, but lucky for you..." He looks at Harrington with no change in his expression. "...I'm also a freediver."

Harrington blinks. "A freediver?"

"Freediving is a form of underwater diving that doesn't rely on the use of a breathing apparatus," Scott explains. "It's purely breath-holding until resurfacing."

Harrington looks more impressed now. A grin breaks out of his features as he looks at Scott with a new interest in his eyes. "For such a skinny guy, I never expected you to have such a great skill. I guess those slim muscles you have aren't for show."

Scott starts taking off his vest, ignoring the older man's quip.

"Then can you tell me how long you can breathe underwater?" Harrington inquires.

"My best record months ago was 8 minutes."

"Is that plenty for you?"

"It is. That is, _if_ I can find your sword within that time." At this moment, Scott has already taken off his shirt. He carefully lays his glass sword on the ground and glances at Harrington. "I should take a test dive first, right?"

Harrington nods approvingly. "Yeah. You should try it out first."

Scott nods back, then dives into the water.

When he submerges, he notices _two_ things.

 _One:_ it feels _exactly_ like he's diving underwater, minus the pain and the constricting airway. He's even actually _breathing_ through his nose as if the water is _air_ instead. His vision is also astoundingly clear; he doesn't even _need_ goggles. However, it seems that he cannot open his mouth.

 _Two:_ there's a timer hologram before his eyes, indicating that he has 7 minutes and 50 seconds left before he becomes an automatic KO.

 _That's reassuring,_ Scott muses to himself as he swims around, trying to get a feel of the waters and its surroundings. The sun's rays slip through and scatter around the waters, revealing thousands of colourful fishes, underwater plants, and small rocks amidst sand. He silently admires the handiwork of the developers of this game.

 _Everything is very realistic, and the fact that players like me can_ feel _things except pain in this game is a huge plus._

_I think I can understand now why most of the population is addicted to this game._

Deciding that his test dive is over, Scott resurfaces, swimming to shore.

Harrington kneels before him. "So how did it go?"

Scott brushes his wet hair out of his face, feeling a bit pleased. "My time in the water is close to 8 minutes."

Harrington grins. "Excellent. You're the _perfect_ person for this quest!"

Scott nods, his mind focusing on the mission. "What does your sword look like?"

"Actually, they're _two_ swords that join into one," Harrington clarifies. "It's called an _X-Blade_. If you use one sword, it halves the power. However, if you use _both_ , it increases _all_ your stats. It's my prized possession."

"Were the two swords separated when it fell into the lake?" Scott asks.

Harrington shakes his head. "No. When nobody is using it, it automatically forms an 'X' and it cannot be separated unless its owner wields it."

 _Sounds like a really cool sword,_ Scott thinks to himself. _This old man might be really high-levelled._

_He may be an NPC, but I wonder what'll happen if I ask him to train me._

Scott dives back into the water.

This time, he goes deeper. He searches the surroundings and lifts up the big rocks that he sees. After five minutes of futile search, he resurfaces before his timer runs out.

Harrington watches from the sides as this young man he only met today resurfaces from the water multiple times. He knows that this quest isn't exactly _easy_. However, this mission he gave is going to be _very_ beneficial to beginner players. If they succeed, they'd earn _tons_ of EXP from the get-go, _and_ they'd even earn a Hellfire Fragment for their efforts.

If all four fragments are together, it'll form into a _Hellfire orb_ , one of the most powerful mid-level _Guardians_ in the game.

Lake Nadis is very wide. Harrington surmises that it'll take the boy the _whole_ day to to find the sword, _especially_ if it's in the deepest depths of the lake. However, beginners are also allowed to back out of a quest whenever they want. It just depends on what demerits they'd get if they do so.

Harrington sits down on the grass as he continues to wait, staring up at the sky. He thinks of a boy with black hair and red eyes.

_...I wonder what that young lad is up to now?_


	4. Scott Wayland, Part 3

When Scott finally finds the sword, it's already nighttime.

Having borrowed a waterproof flashlight from Harrington to help him navigate through the darkness, he spots the so-called X-Blade lying about thirty meters down, perched on numerous small rocks. With three minutes left on his timer, Scott grabs the hilts of the two swords and proceeds to swim upwards with all his might despite the heaviness of the water pulling him down.

When he resurfaces from the lake, he throws the two swords on the grassy ground and pulls himself up.

Harrington is there before him, holding a dry towel.

"You may not feel pain, but you can feel disturbances, like feeling cold," he tells Scott, handing him the material. "You exhausted?"

Scott gladly accepts the towel, drying his hair first. "Thanks. I am, but only my physical body. My mind's still as clear as ever. It's like..." Scott pauses thoughtfully. "...playing a video game."

Harrington nods. "You're correct, Scott. The pain you can't feel is mostly from battles. However, you can still feel the impact from every blow you receive. You can feel the heaviness when you fall to the ground and the exhaustion when you climb up mountains. You can feel the cold, you can feel the blistering heat... _everything_. You'll feel uncomfortable, but you'll never feel physical pain here, just like you'd never get frostbite and hypothermia. However, the cold will discomfort the _hell_ out of you if you don't cover up immediately."

Scott stares at him for a moment as if registering the important explanation in his mind. "I see," he drawls.

Harrington takes in every feature of this young boy's face, noting his clear skin and reddish-brown hair. His appearance is quite pleasing to the eye, but there is a weariness there, like there's no life behind those jaded eyes.

_He's not like the other excited players I've encountered in this game._

"Let's go to my home," Harrington tells him. "You can stay the night there. And... congratulations on completing your quest."

After he says it, a hologram box appears before Scott's eyes.

* * *

  **CONGRATULATIONS! QUEST COMPLETED!**

You have received 10,000 coins, Hellfire Fragment x 1, and 1,000 EXP.

_..._

_Loading..._

_..._

**YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!**

* * *

"This is your first quest, so it's not over yet," Harrington tells him, smiling at Scott's mild surprise. "For beginners, the first quest they ever complete is what paves the way towards creating their own story here on _Dream World_. Because you completed my quest, I have become your ultimate NPC guide for this game. You can ask me any question you want and I'll gladly answer you the best I can!"

Scott is silent for a moment. "Then... can I ask you a favor?"

"Oh? A favor?" Harrington grins. "Tell me what it is and I'll see if I can do it for you. Consider me as your father in this game, all right?" He playfully ruffles Scott's hair.

Scott blinks in confusion at this unexpected display of affection and tries to ignore the slight warmth seeping into his body.

_My... father...?_

"...Please train me," Scott requests hesitantly.

Harrington doesn't even react. It's as if he's been expecting this question all along. "Sure. I'll teach you the basics of battle starting tomorrow morning after your body rests."

Scott tilts his head, puzzled. "Do I _have_ to rest in this game?"

"Of course! You said you were exhausted!"

"I wonder... is it like logging off from the game?"

Harrington frowns a bit. "Not exactly. Your virtual body here is different from your physical body in the real world. You can't operate properly if you stay awake for 24 hours. This game was designed to be as close to reality as possible, so you need rest, too."

"How inconvenient," says Scott listlessly as he watches Harrington pick up his X-Blade and attach it behind his back.

"Like I said, you may not feel pain here, but you can feel tired." Without further ado, Harrington gently grabs Scott's shoulders and steers him away from the lake. "Players don't log off often, though. If they do, their bodies here disappear from the game for days due to the time difference, and they'd only go back to their last save point."

Scott lets Harrington lead him towards the direction of a small village. "There are save points here?"

The man nods. "Of course. It's why you should save whenever you see one. You'll know when you see it."

"I see."

As they walk in silence, Scott glances at Harrington curiously.

"You know..." he begins. "You may be an NPC, but you act completely human."

Harrington smirks. "I'll take that as a compliment, lad."

Scott hums thoughtfully.

_I never knew that there are actually AIs like this..._

 


	5. Scott Wayland, Part 4

The days pass by, and although he may not quite admit it, Scott has become a bit fond of Harrington.

The man is very friendly and kind. However, he can be a little  _weird_ sometimes.

Like _now_.

They're currently trudging towards the path leading to one of Lucis' infamous forests. Scott decided to go there in order to fight his first battle with the Level 1 spiders he heard about from Harrington.

However, since the beginning, the aforementioned man has been acting strangely. To be more specific, he has become oddly protective. He keeps asking if Scott _really_ wants to do this.

When they reach the entrance, it becomes worse. Before Scott can even take _one_ step towards the place, Harrington pulls him back by the shoulder.

"Are you _sure_ you wanna do this?" the latter asks again in alarm.

Scott stares at him blandly. "For the fifth time, _yes_." He folds his arms across his chest. "What are you _so_ worried about?"

Harrington chuckles nervously. "Well... forest monsters are pretty ugly to look at. Most of the newbies run away after seeing them, you know!"

"...And you think _I_ wouldbe scared silly by some ugly-looking creatures?" Scott deadpans. " _Really?_ That is childish."

"Uh..." Harrington looks embarrassed as he averts his gaze.

Scott blinks, realization dawning on him. "Don't tell me..."

" _Look_ , it's not that I'm _scared_ of them!" Harrington immediately interrupts, his tone frantically defensive. "I—It's just that — they were the very first monsters I encountered while I was training many years ago, and those _damn_ spiders bit and poisoned me and I had to crawl helplessly to the nearest village to get help—"

"I see," Scott interjects. "So you were traumatized. I understand."

Harrington deflates, trying to cover his reddish cheeks with his hand. "Don't say that with such a straight face... you're kinda bruising my ego here, lad."

"Then shall I laugh instead?"

An unbidden image of normally bland-faced Scott snickering evilly at his expense makes cold shivers run down Harrington's spine. The man immediately shakes the terrifying thought away.

Just... _no_.

"Never mind. Just go," Harrington relents.

Scott nods, then begins to pass through the entrance sign, leaving Harrington standing there behind him.

Harrington suddenly swallows. "Uh... lad, are you really _sure_ you don't wanna fight the monsters near the field instead, like I first suggested to you—"

"For the _sixth_ time, _yes._ "

"Oh... okay... but, are you _really_ sure—"

Scott stops in his tracks. Harrington stares at him in foreboding.

When Scott turns his head towards him, he looks exasperated. " _Shut up_ already."

"Okay, okay. _Sorry_."

Scott resumes his walking, his back facing his mentor. "You'll back me up just in case those monsters turn me into a KO-ed player, right? Then you should follow me closely."

"Yeah..." Harrington says reluctantly. "You're right." With a sigh, he wipes the sweat off his brow and begins to follow Scott in a considerably slower pace.

The latter looks back at him, blinking. "If you're scared," he says casually, "I can hold your hand if you want."

Harrington's jaw almost drops to the ground. Scott shows a semblance of a smile on his face, then turns away, still walking ahead.

Harrington fumes, his shock melting into annoyance. He can almost feel the smoke coming out of his ears. "That cheeky little brat..." he mutters.

_So he knows how to tease people now, huh?_


	6. Scott Wayland, Part 5

Scott shields his face from the wild branches in his way, his eyes focused on his surroundings. He isn't a fighter; the only athletic sport he does in his world is swimming. He isn't interested in martial arts, he dislikes fencing, _and_ he strays away from anything soccer-related.

Scott has always known that he's a bit different from his peers. His hobbies aren't the same as his friends, and he doesn't have any male siblings to bond with, either. His older sister is always working at the hospital and his younger sister is just like him, coping herself up in her room, preferring to be alone. His mother, a known workaholic, is _hardly_ even at home.

However, whenever she _is_...

Scott frowns, refusing to dwell on that topic any further.

 _Harrington said that the spiders are often prowling in this forest,_ he thinks to himself, coming to a stop before a small clearing. _But I haven't seen a single one since I entered._

_Was he mistaken?_

Scott turns his head to look Harrington who trails behind him hesitantly. The latter notices his gaze and immediately straightens his posture, coughing into his hand in an attempt to restore his bruised dignity.

" _What?_ " he says, grumbling.

Scott tilts his head slightly. "Are you annoyed?" he asks bluntly.

"Hell no!" Harrington quickly denies, his eyes growing wide.

"I see," Scott says in a softer tone. "You're still scared."

He knows his words come out as teasing, but he oddly doesn't mind.

"Why don't _you_ shut up this time?" Harrington says irritably, taking out his X-Blade and gripping the two hilts with his hands. "Anyway, be prepared."

Seeing his mentor's sudden guarded stance causes Scott to summon his glass blade. "Do you sense something?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Harrington says somberly. "It's too quiet here."

Scott absently twirls the hilt of the glass sword in his hand. Because he isn't fully aware of what he's doing, the weapon suddenly slips out of his fingers and drops to the ground with a loud _clang_.

At that instant, Harrington hears it.

" _Dodge it!_ " he yells, letting his body fall to the earth, dragging Scott along with him.

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, a large spider leg comes whooshing down on the space where their heads previously were. Both of them hear the ground crack audibly from the impact.

Scott can practically feel Harrington's cold, clammy hand on his upper arm.

Harrington lets go of him and uses the sword in his right hand to slice off the leg, causing the spider to shriek in pain.

"Stand up, Scott!" Harrington orders.

Scott immediately obeys, grabbing his glass sword and putting some distance between him and Harrington.

"See that bar?" the latter says, quickly gesturing towards the visible HP bar of the enormous spider. "Its life is now 175/200. If you cut off its remaining seven legs, you can defeat it! If not, aim for its _eyes_ to deal great damage!"

Scott nods, processing the important information in his mind. Gripping his sword, he charges at the spider.

The creature sees him coming and snarls, two of its legs flying towards his chest. Scott grunts and tries to slice off the appendages with his sword, but he misses and one of them pierces his shoulder.

There isn't any pain, but Scott grabs his shoulder anyway out of reflex and backtracks as fast as he can.

In his mind, he sees his HP points.

470/480.

 _It doesn't hit that hard,_ Scott realizes as he takes a short breath. _That's a good thing._

He watches as Harrington charges at the spider. The latter's movements are slow, probably due to his fear, but his skill with the X-Blade is fascinating for Scott to see. The man probably trained a lot to be able to use dual swords effectively, and it really shows.

Taking advantage of his brief moment of respite, Scott observes the spider's attack pattern.

 _Fighting in this game is kinda tough if you're not really a good sword-user in the first place..._ Scott muses. But o _ther types can most probably handle this monster easily, like the Sorcerer Type..._

"..." Scott's eyes narrow when Harrington dodges a lethal pierce to his torso.

_That movement..._

Something clicks in Scott's mind as he observes further.

_...I see it! It only moves its body in a clockwise direction..._

Gripping his sword tightly, Scott rushes forward with renewed vigor.

_...and its blind spot is right in front of me!_


	7. Scott Wayland, Part 6

Harrington watches in shock as Scott throws his sword right into the spider's body on the left side from which the legs radiate out. The spider shrieks in pain, momentarily collapsing to the ground. It doesn't take Harrington more than a few seconds to ascertain _exactly_ what the boy did.

_50/200._

_He found it!_ he realizes. _He found its weak spot!_

The loud vibrations drift into Scott's ears, causing him to flinch. However, he finds the strength to run and pluck his sword out from the spider's body.

 _This is my chance,_ he thinks to himself, his mind slightly drowsy from the adrenaline rush. _Strike now before it gets up again!_

Without further ado, he grips the handle of his sword and runs towards the direction of the spider's eyes.

The creature snarls, noticing his intent. It immediately attempts to summon its legs to attack.

Scott doesn't pay it any mind. There's only one thing running in his head:

_Win._

Scott lifts his blade and runs it through the spider's eyes.

The creature howls, its legs suspended in mid-air just before they can hit him.

Then, in seconds, it disintegrates into white particles and disappears along with the wind.

* * *

**ENEMY DEFEATED!**

EXP gained: 500

_Points needed for the next level: 1,500_

* * *

Scott finds himself easily jumping back before he can hit the ground. Because he had been standing atop the spider's head, he would've dropped to the earth the moment the creature died.

 _Whoa..._ he marvels, looking at his hands and feet. _I feel so light whenever I fight and run... With this body, it's like I can easily jump and do backflips with little efforts at all._

_I think I might be getting addicted to this game..._

"H—Hey!"

The sound of Harrington's panicked cry causes Scott to whip his head towards the man.

What he sees next makes his eyes go wide and his heart pump in both apprehensiveness and excitement.

Two large spiders are starting to get closer to Harrington, and Scott spots one prancing over his way.

They're becoming surrounded already.

Suddenly, the creatures stop in their tracks. Harrington and Scott both see the large hologram box at the same time.

* * *

**BEGINNER AND NPC TEAM**

OUTMATCHED

_Flee the battle?_

**YES** || **NO**

* * *

Scott stares. Harrington's finger dives into the direction of the _YES_ button.

"Wait," Scott says, causing Harrington to pause in his action. "Do we really have to run away?"

Harrington almost chokes on his saliva. "What are you _talking_ about, lad?! Of _course_ we're gonna run! We're _outmatched_! The game _says_ so!"

Scott becomes thoughtful for a moment. _I see... so this is how the game gives the amateur players and helpless NPCs a chance to survive because of battle difficulties..._

"But they're just Level 1 spiders, aren't they?" he asks Harrington who's starting to look more agitated and frightened by the minute. "Why are they a bit hard to kill?"

"That's because they give you lots of EXP compared to the other Level 1 fodder!" Harrington explains a little forcefully. "Can we flee _now_?"

"What about my training?"

"You can train here again once you at _least_ reach Level 3," Harrington offers immediately. "That way, I won't be coming with you. And you can gain a lot of EXP by fighting them all alone since the forests spawn tons of monsters each day."

Scott nods. "Fair enough, then."

Harrington breathes a sigh of relief, then hurriedly taps the _YES_ button.

The moment he does, their bodies disappear from where they're standing.

* * *

  *** * ***

* * *

The first thing Scott sees when he opens his eyes is the entrance sign of the forest.

"We're out now," he tells Harrington, who grabs his knees with his hands as he takes in shallow mouthfuls of air.

A pang of guilt blossoms in Scott's chest. Maybe he had been a bit _too_ uncaring of Harrington's arachnophobia.

 _Even the strongest warriors have their own little fears too,_ he muses as he pats the man's back. _Why people call them silly is beyond my comprehension._

He remembers his friend back in the real world being called a sissy just because he was afraid of roaches. He even recalls the stoic class president of his class sometimes being teased for having a ' _silly_ ' fear of ants.

 _They make fun of them, yet they're the ignorant ones,_ Scott thinks absently, _because they don't understand how it feels._

* * *

_"They make fun of them, yet they're the ignorant ones," Jon Rushton tells him, "because they don't understand how it feels."_

_"Does it really hurt when people call their fears 'silly'?" ****** asks. "Class President doesn't even flinch when they tease her mercilessly."_

_Jon stares at him. "There you go again, ******. Of course it does! Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there."_

* * *

_In this case,_ Scott thinks, _I can see it... clearly._

"Are you all right?" he asks Harrington, who is now standing up and dusting off the dirt from his pants.

Harrington turns to him with a grin. "Yeah! We're out now, so I'm relieved. Come on." He slings an arm around Scott's shoulder and drags him towards the direction of their house. "Let's call it quits for the rest of the afternoon. That encounter really wore me out! We'll go find some land creatures tomorrow, all right?"

Scott goes silent, allowing the man to lead him along.

Harrington notices and frowns a little. "Something the matter?" He then emits a nervous chuckle. "You ain't sulking 'cause I made us flee the battle, are you?"

Scott shakes his head. "No."

"Oh? Then what is it?" Harrington pauses in his tracks, eyeing him closely. "You seem to have something you want to say to me."

Scott snakes out of the man's hold and continues walking, placing his hands inside his pockets. "It's nothing. I'm just glad you're all right."

Harrington blinks. Then it dawns on him the next second.

A mischievous grin curves his lips and he catches up to Scott, grasping his shoulder and leading him again.

"So you were worried about me, huh? You feel bad about teasing me so much? So you're _human_ , after all!"

"That's because I _am_ a human."

" _Oh!_ You didn't deny it!"

"Why should I? It's not a lie."

"O—Oh... Damn, you're hard to crack, huh?"

"I will take that as a compliment."

* * *

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	8. Scott Wayland, Part 7

As the weeks come to pass, Scott's questions just keep coming, and Harrington tries his best to answer them patiently.

"I've been meaning to ask this, but do you NPCs really have hunger tendencies?" Scott queries bluntly as he watches Harrington stuff some pork chops into his mouth. "Aren't you all just virtual bodies? Why would you feel hunger? Isn't that weird?"

Harrington replies with a huff, "We were created to have hunger tendencies, lad. We need food to survive. It's like one of those real-life simulation games, you know?"

When Scott looks at him with more confusion on his face, Harrington sighs internally. _I can tell that this guy doesn't play any games at all..._

"I told you, didn't I?" Harrington continues on. "This world was created to match reality as close as possible. The food here is only edible to us NPCs. You players don't need to eat."

Scott frowns at that. "That's both boring and unfair for us players."

"If you care about eating so much, you can email a suggestion to the developers themselves," Harrington tells him with a smirk. "However, if they do implement that in this game, players would _never_ log off."

Scott nods, seeming thoughtful for a moment as he peers closely at Harrington. "Hey, do you guys ever die?" he asks candidly.

Harrington chokes a bit at the casual inquiry, then nods eventually. "NPCs can definitely die and disappear from this world. We can either be killed or die from old age. But the thing is, due to the time difference between your world and ours, NPCs have a considerably slower aging rate. It's why, even if you players log off for a long time due to emergencies, we're all still here looking pretty much the same age," he explains.

"Cool," Scott says aloud, his eyes now twinkling with interest. Harrington finds that he does not dislike this innocent side of Scott. "You're all like vampires then?"

Harrington has to cover his mouth to muffle his boisterous laughter. " _Vampires?_ I thought only teenage girls would mention that term. You, my boy, are truly different from the others." He affectionately ruffles Scott's hair, causing the latter to look at him in surprise from the unexpected action.

 _So he's also got a cute side to him. He really is just a boy,_ Harrington thinks to himself fondly.

"You haven't answered my question," Scott speaks up, breaking the momentary pause in conversation.

"Ah, right. Well, vampires are immortal, lad. We're definitely _not_ immortal. We age, but very, _very_ slowly. It helps maintain the game if NPCs just die off due to unfortunate causes like illnesses or crimes. And there haven't been many of us since the Rogue incident."

"Rogue incident?"

Harrington stops eating. The sudden somber emotion on his face quells the undying curiosity in Scott.

Scott's voice is quiet. "Should I not have asked?"

Harrington seems to quickly snap out of his trance and waves a dismissive hand. "No, no. Sorry, I got lost in memories..." He unconsciously grips the side of the table with his free hand, an action that does not go unnoticed by Scott's observant eyes. "You see, a long time ago... there was an NPC who went insane and killed many people — both players and NPCs — in this game."

Silence greets him as a response. Harrington takes this as a sign to continue.

"His name was Damian. Damian Blackzone. He was one of the kids I looked after for a while when I was volunteering at an orphanage many years ago. He was really cheerful and friendly. Popular with his classmates, too.

"He was also talented at swordplay. He kept on practicing at the nearby dojo as he grew up, and soon he became one of the best NPCs who could fight like a real player.

"Unfortunately, one day... after he was hired to be an elite Guard for Aucalytha Fortress, the physical domain of the developers themselves in this game... he changed. _Drastically._ "


	9. Scott Wayland, Part 8

"It's like he became a stranger. 'Deranged' may even be a fitting term for him." Harrington clenches a fist. "He started spouting nonsense like this world was a lie, that we NPCs were only being used. Nobody could calm him down or even defeat him; he just slaughtered anyone who passed his way, even innocent players, for _months_. He kept telling everyone who was present that it was for the purpose of purification, that he was saving them from suffering."

"Strange," Scott murmurs.

"Thankfully, the developers eventually got a hold of him by apprehending him themselves," Harrington says. "They can't erase an NPC from this game world, but they seemed to have succeeded in fixing his terrible glitch. The developers had to compensate the KO-ed players and apologize for the commotion. It's hard enough for them to add NPCs to this game because of the complex and time-consuming process, so they had a difficult time figuring out how to balance the population once more."

"Then how do NPCs get added into this game?" Scott asks. "Is it like the real world as well?"

Harrington nods. "We can get married and make families in this world. Keep in mind that _only_ NPCs can do this, though!" he warns.

"You say that as if I were actually planning to make babies here," Scott deadpans, looking severely unimpressed.

Harrington grins in amusement. "Teenage boys have raging hormones, after all. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, but unfortunately for me, I'm not interested in that kind of excitement," Scott says monotonously, propping an elbow on the table and resting his chin on his fist. "I'm asexual."

Harrington sighs. "Such a boring guy..." he almost wails.

Scott ignores the unnecessary quip. "Tell me more," he says quietly. "Where is Damian now? Is he still prowling anywhere?"

"Not really," Harrington replies somberly. "He's positioned at the fortress now, but he gets missions to travel to cities every once in a while to monitor crimes and all that stuff. He changed back to his old self, but... I don't think he's the same kid I knew anymore."

"..." Scott averts his gaze. "So the developers are sure that he isn't dangerous anymore?"

"Yeah, they are," Harrington responds with a wry smile. "The developers usually don't declare things like that without making sure of their information, so I trust them. I don't wanna die a meaningless death; I have a personality too, you know."

A brief screech can be heard as Scott pushes his chair back while standing up. Unbuttoning the top two buttons of his vest, he turns to Harrington. "Can you spar with me today?"

Harrington blinks. "What's with you? I thought we were going to hunt monsters in the grasslands?"

"I don't feel like it now." Scott smiles slightly. "I want to know more about this world, and you can tell me while we fight."

Harrington stares at him, then chuckles. "You really are a curious and detail-oriented person, aren't you? Well then, I can't just refuse the offer of a sparring match. It's the first time we're going up against each other, after all."

Soon, they're out in a clearing. Harrington unclasps his X-Blade and holds the two swords in his hands. "All right," he says. "We can talk while we fight, like real men."

Scott says nothing, but a glass sword materializes out of thin air in front of him. He deftly catches the hilt with his right hand and takes on a defensive pose.

 _Interesting..._ Harrington thinks to himself. _Eager young boys usually start off by charging at their opponent, but this guy is trying to analyze my first move._

A rush of excitement drills through his veins. _I'll give him what he wants, then._

Harrington runs forward in quick speed, swinging his swords at Scott. The latter's eyes widen before he deflects the blades' attacks with his long sword.

 _The attacks collide against my sword, but they aren't heavy at all,_ Scott realizes. _I get it. A weapon weighs nothing more than a feather when equipped, and impacts with other weapons feel the same..._

Harrington pierces a sword through Scott's chest, taking advantage of the momentary distraction. "You're wide open!" he declares.

Scott immediately backtracks, causing Harrington to pull his sword back.

 _I don't feel the pain, and there's no blood rushing out._ Scott grows stiffer by the second as his hand tightly clasps the front of his shirt. _But that piercing sensation... I definitely felt it. It's like fighting monsters all over again._

_Feeling things like this makes me damn uncomfortable._

Harrington smirks as he raises the sword to his chest, letting the blade lean on his shoulder. "We were planning to talk, right? What other questions do you have?"

"...I can't think of any at the moment," Scott replies tersely as he forces the discomfort to go away. He cautiously brandishes his sword, narrowing his eyes at Harrington.

_...This game is sensational._

_It makes me want to know more and more about this world. The curiosity is almost eating me alive._

For the first time in most of his life, Scott grins in anticipation.

"Come at me again, old man."

Harrington is staring at him, startled. Then he can't resist a chuckle.

_He should really smile more often._

"All right. Be prepared, Scott!" he warns before charging at him again.

**:**

_**:** _

**:**

**end of introduction i**


	10. INTRODUCTION II: Aliyah Sifer, Part 1

In another setting within the game, a woman sighs, taking a deep breath before raising her arms.

 _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ she thinks to herself forlornly, _but I'm already here, so..._

A spark of lightning conjures itself from her fingertips. In her other hand, ice spreads over her palm.

_Lightning and ice._

From the moment she entered the game and had the basics given to her, she already knew that she was going to be a sorceress. She didn't want to wield a weapon despite attending a fencing class each week (for formality's sake), and she definitely didn't want to be a Demon Type. Runes didn't quite interest her, either.

_Let's see what I'm actually capable of._

In an instant, lightning scorches the trees. Afterwards, ice spreads across the forest.

She marvels at her handiwork. _Amazing... so this is how it feels to actually wield magic!_

_I might be playing this game for the whole summer now._ _Good thing I didn't take extra classes back at my school!_

She cheers to herself once more. _I can play all I want in this game!_

 _Now, before I embark on my very first quest, I gotta find someone I know and play along with them!_ She eagerly nods to herself. _That way, if I ever get KO-ed, there'll be someone to revive me!_

With that, she exits from the small training forest and sets off towards the direction where many players are gathered, chattering excitedly to themselves. She can even see a few showcasing their Type's abilities.

_I think most of them are Usual Types, with some of them being Sorcerer Types like me._

She doesn't have to walk far, for she spots a familiar someone by the pond in the park.

Strolling towards the person, she puts on a placid smile.

"Jenna."

The girl turns around at the sound of her real name, startled.

"Who on earth — whoa, is that _you_ , M—"

"My game name here is Aliyah," she smoothly interrupts, stretching her hand out. "Aliyah Sifer."

The girl stares for a moment, then laughs.

"Okay, okay. My name here is Vilandra Luchnerg." Vilandra shakes Aliyah's hand. "So, does this mean I shouldn't regard you as my big sister in this game?"

Aliyah smiles. "Frankly, I'm even surprised that you managed to recognize me in an instant. I altered my whole appearance, you know."

Vilandra chuckles. "Come on, sis. We've been living together for eighteen years. I'm the closest person to you! Even if your hair, eyes, and nose are different, I can still recognize you in a heartbeat!" Vilandra then proceeds to inspect Aliyah from head to toe, looking intrigued. "But boy, this game is amazing, sis! It renders our features as smooth, so you can hardly see any freckles or acne on anyone at all! We all look _so_ 3D, it's awesome!"

Aliyah laughs. "You're looking pretty gorgeous yourself, Jenna."

"It's _Vilandra_ , I said!"

"Oh, sorry! Forgot."

Vilandra huffs in exasperation. "Anyway, let's team up and go beat up some monsters!" she exclaims excitedly.

Aliyah smiles, placing a hand on her hip. "Then where are we supposed to go?"

"Well... dangerous creatures usually reside in the big forests, right?!" Vilandra guesses.

"Uh huh... but what if they're high-leveled?" Aliyah points out. "Remember, we're only Level 1."

Vilandra pouts. "There you go again with your logic," she says defeatedly. "Makes sense... but awww, I really want to try this power out, you know!"

"Why? What type did you choose?"

"I'm a Rune Type," Vilandra says proudly, lifting her hand at face-level for Aliyah to see her right wrist glowing a bright gray. "I chose a Sleep Rune for my right and a Water Rune for my left. They're both pretty cool powers, if I do say so myself!"

"But you haven't tried them out yet, have you?" Aliyah guesses.

"Well... I just got here, okay?" Vilandra grins brightly. "The NPC girl I talked with when I began the game told me everything there is to know about my Type! I just had to extract all the juicy details from her, so I found out that the runes players are starting out with are at their very basic level!"

"Hmm, interesting..." Aliyah muses in intrigue. "Elaborate if you can."

Vilandra nods in excitement. "Okay, so here's the thing: you can unlock different spells with Runes once you increase your MP level and also by the rate you use them! For example, my Water rune can only be used for a single spell: _water splash_. It's a weak attack since it's only at Level 1, but if I keep on upgrading it, I can summon a tsunami on my enemies if I want to! Awesome, right?!"

"It does sound very cool," Aliyah admits, impressed. "My Sorcery powers are much difficult to control... Using them relies a lot on MP as well as your mind; the powers can take form whatever you wish and however you control them, but these powers rely on my own strength, agility, and vitality stats, so I'd have to level up a lot in order to unleash a lot of spells."

"Ohh, I get it!" Vilandra exclaims. "Rune and Sorceress Types are similar in nature, but Rune Types are categorized in the general sense. I can only cast specific spells and nothing more, while Sorceress Types rely on free-form magic and the user's own statistics!"

Aliyah can't help it. She chuckles, ruffling Vilandra's hair as she does so. "So cute... you really are my little sister."

"See? I'm not the idiot youngest in this family," Vilandra says proudly. "Anyway, sis, let's form a team! We should go level up for a while, right?"

"Then we should head for the exit first," Aliyah says.

Vilandra nods in agreement, then the two of them head towards the city gates.

* * *

**tbc**


	11. Aliyah Sifer, Part 2

Lucis City seems to have a trademark of silver walls and buildings, much like their own hometown due to the advancement of technology. Seeing the two-story houses and occasional greenery makes Aliyah think of home.

Excitement courses through her veins.  _I feel like a real mage, one like in those fantasy books I've always read,_  she thinks to herself.  _I can't wait to level up and create more skills!_

_I wonder how we all start out though? Do we just team up or find missions somewhere? Or just travel around from city to city?_

_When I checked earlier,_  Aliyah muses thoughtfully,  _I had 1000 coins. Is that too few or too many?_

Vilandra sends her sister a sidelong glance. "I can tell that you're in analysis mode already," she teases. " _C'mon_ , sis! Leave all those questions for later. Just go with the flow and enjoy!"

Aliyah chuckles sheepishly. "I can't help it," she admits. "It's because I'm curious to know more..."

"Oh!" Vilandra suddenly exclaims, pointing towards a large board near the exit gates where more than a few players are currently lining up. "Look, sis! That must be some sort of mission roster!"

Aliyah blinks, inspecting the overall sight with her eyes. "You seem to be right. Good thing it's noticeable," she observes. "Not one player will be able to miss it."

_Though I wish the developers gave all of us some sort of message inbox for missions and everything... like a phone..._

_Or maybe we should buy one first to access that feature? But does it really exist here?_

Aliyah pauses thinking for a moment, then chuckles inwardly.  _Like Jenna said, I'm back in analysis mode already..._

The line is quite long, so Aliyah takes the time to look around while they wait. Meanwhile, Vilandra impatiently scuffles the grass with her foot, pouting at having to stay still.

"Do you think we'll be able to enter any house we wish?" Aliyah ponders aloud. "Like in those RPG games where the main character just barges in and talks to the people inside?"

"I dunno," Vilandra says. "In real life, that'd be considered a crime for trespassing, y'know? Maybe it's the same here!"

"Hmm, you're right."

A few players finish selecting their quests, shortening the distance between Vilandra and the mission roster. Vilandra grins in excitement, wishing that the ones in front of her would hurry up.

"Since it can only be an individual quest," Aliyah speaks up, "I guess this means we can't form a team, then."

Vilandra blinks at her. "Oh. Yeah... Well, you gonna be okay by yourself?"

"Of course not, but I hope I can pull it off," Aliyah admits. "It's kinda scary playing yourself rather than controlling someone while you're sitting before the screen. This is honestly kind of nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time..."

A hint of guilt passes through Vilandra's features. "I feel bad about the idea of having to leave you all alone..."

Aliyah waves a dismissive hand. "Don't be," she says firmly. "I've been doing okay in school anyway, and I don't mind interacting with others, anyway. I'll just follow your advice and... go with the flow and have fun."

Vilandra nods earnestly. "Yeah! I mean, you're always holed up in your room, studying all day, so you need this break, sis! In here, you can do whatever you want, anything at all, and nobody here recognizes you except for me! You can be yourself here!"

Aliyah can't help a soft smile. "Thanks," she says gratefully, ruffling her little sister's hair.

_She's all grown up now... It seems like that baby girl I'd always fussed over is gone now..._

A pang of loneliness enters Aliyah's chest, then it dissipates as she forces herself to think about the prospect of meeting new people. She has never minded social interactions, so that part is no problem, but this game is just so different that it's like stepping into foreign territory. Her nerves feel like they're going to pop out from her body any moment.

While she's preoccupied with her thoughts, Vilandra's turn has come to find her first mission. Aliyah waits patiently, amusement crossing her features as she hears her sister mutter about being disappointed that she can't find any team missions and  _where is that dang filter button when you need it?_

"I picked one," Vilandra finally says after a while. Aliyah quietly breathes a sigh of relief. The other players behind her had been muttering to themselves about having to wait so long for their turn, and it made Aliyah uncomfortable, wishing that Vilandra would hurry up with her decision.

"What is it?" she asks.

Vilandra is already tying her shoelaces. "I'd tell you, sis," she says, breathing deeply, "but the quest I picked requires me to be on the outskirts of the city within ten minutes. I don't even  _know_  where to go, but I have this GPS button right here, so — " Vilandra grunts as she straightens back up, flexing her arms. She then starts to run off, but not before saying her goodbyes to Aliyah. "See ya, sis! If they have phones here, I'll make sure to get your number!"

"Wait! So soon?" Aliyah cries out, but Vilandra is already sprinting away, frantically staring at her GPS device. Aliyah sighs, feeling the loneliness creep back in again.

 _I'm sure I'll manage..._  she tells herself, trying to pick a mission that suits her. There are tons of those that involve simple, mundane tasks, but nothing catches her eye yet.

Until she stumbles upon an interesting one.

* * *

**GARDENER WANTED AT GEINSTROM VILLAGE**

" _Lord Sifer, ruler of the village, wishes to have a player continuously take care of the wide garden at his mansion. In return, the player will be provided shelter and possible training if the quest is done well and consistently._ "

 **Requirements:**  Level 1, Sorcerer/Sorceress Type

 **Rewards for Success:**  50,000 coins, Sorcerer's Handbook

* * *

 _Huh? The same last name as mine?_  Aliyah stares at the mission details for a moment, reading it for the second time.  _This should be interesting! It must be fate that I saw this one,_  she thinks to herself in amusement, pressing the ' _Accept_ ' button.


End file.
